Missunderstood

Using on-screen depictions of blackness as a guiding framework, Missunderstood explores the effect of reductive media portrayals on Black women’s racial identity and self-esteem. This project aims to identify the messages that consumers receive from American media regarding Black women whilst promoting multilayered representations of their realities in five parts:

I. Supercut Series
II. Valid
III. Paper Bag Prints
IV. black-matter.index
V. Installation

FEB – MAY 2021
MULTIMEDIA

Supercut Series

3 compliation videos about stereotyping Black women, natural hair, and colorism in American media.

Valid

A magazine exploring the multifaceted relationship between media representations of blackness and Black women’s identities. All writing gathered from interviews with friends and family.

EDITORIAL DESIGN

Paper Bag Prints

Coined in the early 1900s, the “Brown Paper Bag Test” is a phrase that describes a discriminatory practice within the Black community where an individual’s complexion was used to determine the degree of privilege granted to them. The term is still used today, although now largely in reference to broader issues of colorism that extend beyond the Black community.

Featuring quotes from Valid, this print series highlights how skin color stratification has affected Black women’s social interactions and self-esteem.

LETTERPRESS, PRINT DESIGN

black-matter.index

A hand-coded archive that provides easy access to resources regarding Black culture and experiences. All materials on the site curated collaboratively from February through May 2021.

[WORK IN PROGRESS]